This invention pertains to a kit-based method, employing components included in a particular character of a repair kit, for patching a leak of liquid from a puncture wound in the wall of a liquid container. Two, slightly different-character kit embodiments which promote respective, preferred manners of practicing the invention are described and illustrated herein. In particular, they are illustrated in the setting of making an emergency, from-the-outside, repair of a ballistic (such as from a bullet) puncture wound in the wall of a military-vehicle fuel tank—a setting wherein the methodology of the invention has been proven to offer significant defensive utility in a combat zone. From the understanding to be gained herein regarding the kit componentry which conveniently promotes practice of the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate how other specific kinds of “patch-kit” components may readily be adopted for use. More particularly, those skilled in the art will recognize that there are various ways in which, in accordance with practice of the invention, a body of material (a component) possessing what is referred to herein as a liquid-reaction substance, may be provided for use, constructed readily to be anchored, during practice of the invention, to the outside of a liquid container adjacent a puncture wound.
While, as will become apparent, the invention has significant utility in other than military settings, it is illustrated and described herein in the mentioned military-vehicle setting as a convenient way of highlighting the key features of the invention.
A special characteristic of the invention, in relation to a preferred manner of practicing it, is that it features use of a wound-patching component—the just above mentioned “body of material”—which possesses the also just-mentioned liquid-reaction substance, one that reacts to leaking liquid, such as hydrocarbon fuel, to create a collaboration with such liquid thereby to produce a fluid-and-“substance”-triggered coagulant that swells to seal a container puncture wound.
Somewhat more broadly viewed, this just-above-mentioned, component-possessed liquid-reaction substance, whether or not effective specifically to create a coagulant mass, nevertheless preferably imbibes leakage liquid, swells in size, and, with the relevant component effectively positioned for use adjacent a container puncture wound, is confined and stabilized (i.e., anchored in place) in such a manner that, in its swelling (and ultimately swollen) conditions, it applies a progressively increasing, and ultimately robust, sealing pressure to close the wound.
In one “repair-kit-based” practice of the invention, what is referred to herein as a patch body in such a kit has a perimeter portion which directly engages the effective outside surface of a container to seal thereagainst in the implementation of puncture-wound sealing.
In another disclosed and illustrated, similar practice of the invention, a washer-like, resilient sealing gasket is employed intermediate the just-mentioned perimeter portion of such a patch body and a container's outside surface. This gasket functions to implement a somewhat different wound-sealing methodology.
In yet another practice of the invention, a hollow-stem, self-torque-limiting bolt of a design suggested herein is utilized to make an attachment (i.e., an anchoring) to the outside of a container of the type possessing, on its outside surface, per se, a self-healing, puncture-defeating coating which has been applied to the container. Application of such a coating does not form any part of the present invention.
A further feature of the invention comes into play in a circumstance, such as that just described above, where a container whose puncture wound is to be sealed is externally coated with an intended, self-sealing coating which is formed with a liquid-reaction material (“substance”) that is compatible with a patch-body-possessed liquid-reaction material, such as that preferably employed in the practice of the invention. In this kind of setting, the sealing response behavior of the invention uniquely collaborates with the self-sealing capabilities of such a coating.
All of the features and advantages of practice of the invention will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.